Ejector attachment for a wire connector assembling machine



May 11,1965 J. F. PHILLIPS EJECTOR ATTACHMENT FOR A WIRE CONNECTOR ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed June 30, 1961 /ar if/arias.

/m/as F W1" 9 0.51.

Par/hr 154/ United States Patent 3,182,389 EJECTOR ATTACI-IIVIENT FOR A WIRE CON- NECTOR ASSELING MACHINE James F. Phillips, Philadelphia, Pa, assignor to Ideal Industries, Ina, Sycamore, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 30, 1961, Ser. No. 121,242 Claims. (Cl. 29283) This invention is in the field of automatic equipment for assembling electrical connectors of the screw-on type on the stripped ends of two or more, say a plurality, of electric wires. For connectors of the screw-on type, reference is made to US. Patent No. 2,825,750, issued March 4, 1958, or 2,749,384, issued June 5, 1956. These two are given merely as examples, not by way of limitation.

A primary object of my invention is an automatic connector driver which funnels or guides wires to the connector.

Another object is a device of the above type which does not require the operator to aim or group the wires.

Another object is a mechanism for automatic assembling machines for removing What I shall term defective connectors.

Another object is an adapter type mechanism which may be applied to existing machines.

Another object is an automatic assembling device for assembling connectors on the stripped ends of electric wires or the like which is constructed to greatly simplify and speed up the process of making connections.

Another object is a detent mechanism for use with or on an automatic assembling device which automatically releases the bottom-most connector when the stripped ends of the wires are inserted.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the ensuing specification and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical section, with parts in full, of an ejector mechanism attached to the lower end of an automatic assembling machine;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the adapter unit removed;

FIGURE 3 is a top view of the adapter in FIGURE 2 with the top cap removed.

FIGURE 4 is a section along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 on a reduced scale; and

FIGURE 5 is a side view of the central operating mechanism of the adapter.

An adapter of this type may be used on an automatic assembling machine of the type disclosed in copending application, now US. Patent No. 3,016,774, issued January 16, 1962. In FIGURE 1, I have only shown the lower end of such a mechanism, indicated generally at It), and for details, reference should be made to the copending application. Broadly, such a machine includes a supply or hopper with a feeding arrangement to bring screw-on type connectors to an assembling station where the connectors are turned, one at a time, on the stripped ends of electric wires which are inserted in an opening in a wrench. The wrench may have a generally cylindrical housing 12 with a driver 14 inside having dogs 16 pivoted or otherwise mounted thereon and adapted to engage a cam surface, upon movement of the driver, which forces the dogs inwardly to clutch the fluted exterior of a screwon type connector 20 positioned at the assembling station. The driver is rotated by any suitable power source, not shown, and this in turn rotates the connector.

The adapter, indicated generally at 22, includes a generally cylindrical housing 24 or the like with a removable top cap 26 held by two or more screws 28. The upper end of the top cap is reduced somewhat in diameter, as at 30, and may be threaded into the lower end of the wrench housing, as at 32.

The inside of the adapter housing is generally open and I provide a passage through it leading from an inlet 34 on top to a funnel-like outlet 36 on the bottom. The inlet has a shoulder 38 which serves as a support for the cam surface 13 of the wrench. The shoulder narrows to an opening 4%) which is of a size, as shown in FIGURE 1, to somewhat closely allow the connectors to pass. The top cap, below the shoulder, is again set back or enlarged, as at 42, to provide substantial clearance.

The inside of the housing 24 also has a substantial diameter to provide a large cavity 44 which ends in a shoulder 46 toward the bottom, defined inwardly by an upwardly truncated rib 48. Thus, I provide a circular groove or channel 50 behind the lip.

I position a plurality of detent fingers or elements 52 in the channel, shown in this case as four, although it might be otherwise. As viewed from above in FIGURE 3, it will be noted that each of the detent elements occupies about so that together they form a circle. Each such element has a conical inner surface 54 so that all four together, when closed as in FIGURE 4, define a frusto-conical inner surface, large end down, which functions as an upper extension of the tunnel or guide surface 36. I flare or cone out the upper portion of the conical bore, as at 56, to thereby define a throat or restriction 57 toward the top. The upper cone has a somewhat short flat peripheral surface 58 which, as shown in FIGURE 1, is adapted to be engaged or to support the lower edge of the electrical connector.

The angle of the lower cone surface 54 is such that it will smoothly fit on the outer surface of the frusto-conical lip 48. I provide a plurality of rings or grooves 58, shown in this case as two, continuously around all four detent elements toward the lower end, say, outside of lip 48, and I position resilient elements, for example O-rings or rubber bands 59 or the like, in these grooves to bias the four elements together. It will thus be seen that each element 52, under the bias of the bands, tends to pivot about its lower edge 60.

The normal operating position is shown in FIGURE 1. The operator then inserts the stripped ends of the electric wires up in the open lower end 36 of the adapter, through the throat 5'7 separating the elements by pivoting them outwardly about their lower ends until the wire ends project into the electric connector. The driver has been previously energized and the connector is turned by the dogs 16 until it is fully screwed down on the wires. Then the operator pulls the wires and connector out. It will be noted that the inner upper edge 61 of the rib 48 has a sufficient diameter to allow the connector to pass.

The outside of each of the detent elements 52 is stepped or shouldered, as at 62, and I provide cam surfaces or recesses 64 where the surfaces come together. I also bevel out the mating surfaces thereabove, as at 66.

A release mechanism is mounted on the housing and includes a ring 68 or the like mounted to slide up and down on the outside of the housing and having a plurality of inwardly projecting fingers 70, shown in this case as 4, each threaded or otherwise held in the ring, as at '72, and extending inwardly through a vertical slot or notch 74 in the housing. The inner ends of each of the fingers are tapered at 76 and fit against the cam or bevel surfaces 64- between adjacent segments or elements, as shown in FIG- URE 3.

Thus, when the ring 68 is forced downwardly in FIG- URE 1, the inner ends 76 of the fingers cam down between adjacent elements, thereby spreading them. Each element will pivot outwardly about its lower end 60. This fully opens the throat 57, thereby releasing the lowest connector in the stack and allowing it to fall out of the housing.

When the ring 68 is slipped back up, the fingers 70 move out from between adjacent segments or elements and the springs or hands 59 pivot the fingers inwardly, thereby the funnel-like opening 36.

a the insulation opening the throat.

areaseo closing the throat 5'7 and again presenting the supporting shoulder 38 to catch the next connector. This returns the mechanism to the FIGURE 1 position.

The use, operation and .functioniof my invention are as follows:

I provide an adapter or unit which may be mounted as an attachment on existing' machines, such as shown in US. Patent No. 3,016,774. Or it may be made a part 7 of original equipment.

In the past, trouble has been experienced in inserting Wires in automatic assembling machines. First, the

:operator must closely group the wires and possibly twist them together. wires into the end of the driver and the opening of the He then must carefully aim the grouped bottom connector.

With the present arrangement, the adapter provides an enlarged funnel or guiding passage which is big enough so that all the operator has to do is push the wires into groups and compresses the stripped ends of the wires and guides them into the bottom connector.

the connector, in a sense, to thread its way out through the .detent inserts and the operator needs to exert very little, if any, pull on the wires to get the connector out.

On occasion, the lowermost connector in the wrench, as indicated atZtl, may be defective. For example, when it was originally molded, the bore of the connector may not have been fully formed. Or a little flash may have gotten in the bore, which wont break off. On occasion,

. connectors have come down through the wrench reversed,

small end first.

Regardless of the defect or trouble, when the operator inserts the stripped ends of the wires up in the wrench and turns on the power; the connector will not fully screw down on the stripped ends of the wires. On many occasions, it will not take hold of the wire ends at all, The operator then has the problem of getting the defec- In the past, this has tive connector out of the wrench. been done by some sort of a probe or pick which is time consuming and irritating.

' With the present device, if the connector will nottalre hold of the wire ends, the operator merely slides the collar or sleeve 68 down. This spreads the segments or detent elements and opens the throat, allowing the defective connector to fall out freely. The operator then slips the collar back up, the throat is again closed, and normal operation is ready to resume.

The particular arrangement for driving or turning the connector, shown as pivoted finger 16, is merely one form and it should be understood that any suitable mechanism may be used to rotate the connector. the connector may have a screwdriver slot on the top which would cooperate with a screw driver element in the wrench. The point is that the device is usable on, or in, many different types of wrenches or drivers.

While I have shown somewhat of a shoulder at 53, it

should be understood that the lower end of the connector may rest on the conical surface 56. In other words, a shoulder 58 to support the lowest connector is not necessary.

Whereas I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that numerous other changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations may be made without departing from the inventions fundamental theme.

The funnel automatically For example,

I claim: 1. In an ejection mechanism for use with an automatic assembling device for assembling connectors on the stripped ends of wires or the like, a housing, means defining a passage through the ,housing having'aninlet and an outlet to provide for the movement of connectors from theassembling device, a plurality of radially movable elements in the housing surrounding the passage, resilient means for urging the elements inwardly so as to releasably prevent connectors from passing through the housing, the inner surfaces of theelements together defining. a conical passage, large end toward the outlet of the housing, adapted to be contacted by the wiresand moved outwardly thereby against the bias of the resilient means when the wires are inserted in :the outlet of the housing, means for overcoming the resilient means to allow the connectors to move freely through the housing, the radial movable elements including a plurality of radiallyv disposed longitudinally arranged elements surrounding the passage, pivoted about one end and constructed so that the other end, under the urging. of the resilient means, projects into the'passage somewhat, opposed cam surfaces between the elements, a frame on the housing having a plurality of inwardly projecting fingers, each such finger being disposed opposite the cam surfaces between two of the elements, the frame being accessible so that it maybe manually moved, movement thereof forcing the fingers between the cam surfaces to spread the elements circumferentially and thereby pivot them outwardly opening thepassage to allow connectors to move freely through the housing.

2. The structureof claim 1 further characterized in that the resilient means includes at least one resilient band surrounding the radially movable elements and biasing them inwardly to partially close the passage.

3. An adapter constructed to be mounted on an assembly device for automaticallyrotating connectors of the screw-on type on the stripped ends of electric wires and the like, the adapter including a housing, means defining a passage through the housing having an inlet and an outlet to provide for the movement of connectors from the assembly device, a pluralityof radially movable elements in the housing surrounding the passageimounted on the outlet and aligned but out of contact with the inlet, means forv resiliently urging the elements inwardly "to releasabiy prevent connectors from passing through the housing, manually operablemeans projecting into the housing for overcoming the resilient means so that con nectors may move freely through the housing, and a mounting on one end of the housing for attaching the a housing to the automatic assembling device.

4. An adapter constructed to be mounted on an assembly device for automatically rotatingconnectors of the screw-on type on the stripped ends of electric wires and the like, the adapterincluding a housing, means defining a passage through the housing having an inlet and an outlet to provide for the movement of connectors from the assembly device, a plurality of radially movable elements in the housing surrounding the passage mounted on the outlet and aligned but out of contact with the inlet, means for resiliently urging the elements inwardly to releasablyprevent connectors from passing through the housing, manually operable means projecting into the housing for overcoming the resilient means so that connectors may move freely through the housing, the radially movable elements including a plurality of radially disposed longitudinally arrangedelements surrounding the passage, pivoted about one end on the outlet and constructed so that the other end, under .the urging of the resilient means, projectsinto the passage somewhat, op-

posed cam surfaces between the elements, .a frame on the housing having a plurality of inwardly projecting fingers, each such finger being disposed opposite the cam surfaces between two of the elements, the'frame and fingers being movably mounted and constructed so that movement 5 thereof forces the fingers between the cam surfaces to spread the elements circumterentially and thereby pivots them outwardly opening the passage to allow connectors to move freely through the housing.

5. The structure of claim 4 further characterized in that the resilient means includes at least one resilient band surrounding the radially movable elements and biasing them inwardly to partially close the pas-sage.

References (Iitetl by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 4/52 Wilmot 29-283 X 11/53 Stuebner 279-55 X 4/54 Schultz 81-1241 X 3/56 Wirt 140-149 3/59 Phillips 81-125 X 3/61 Felmet 279-89 1/62 Minobe 81-54 3/62 Jones 140-149 X 5/62 Cox et a1. 81-125 X FOREIGN PATENTS 5/42 France. 3/ 25 Great Britain.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN AN EJECTION MECHANISM FOR USE WITH AN AUTOMATIC ASSEMBLING DEVICE FOR ASSEMBLING CONNECTORS ON THE STRIPPED ENDS OF WIRES OR THE LIKE, A HOUSING, MEANS DEFINING A PASSAGE THROUGH THE HOUSING HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET TO PROVIDE FOR THE MOVEMENT OF CONNECTORS FROM THE ASSEMBLING DEVICE, A PLURALITY OF RADIALLY MOVABLE ELEMENTS IN THE HOUSING SURROUNDING THE PASSAGE, RESILIENT MEANS FOR URGING THE ELEMENTS INWARDLY SO AS TO RELEASABLY PREVENT CONNECTORS FROM PASSING THROUGH THE HOUSING, THE INNER SURFACES OF THE ELEMENTS TOGETHER DEFINING A CONICAL PASSAGE, LARGE END TOWARD THE OUTLET OF THE HOUSING, ADAPTED TO BE CONTACTED BY THE WIRES AND MOVED OUTWARDLY THEREBY AGAINST THE BIAS OF THE RESILIENT MEANS WHEN THE WIRES ARE INSERTED IN THE OUTLET OF THE HOUSING, MEANS FOR OVERCOMING THE RESILIENT MEANS TO ALLOW THE CONNECTORS TO MOVE FREELY THROUGH THE HOUSING, THE RADIAL MOVABLE ELEMENTS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF RADIALLY DISPOSED LONGITUDINALLY ARRANGED ELEMENTS SURROUNDING THE PASSAGE PIVOTED ABOUT ONE END AND CONSTRUCTED SO THAT THE OTHER END, UNDER THE URGING OF THE RESILIENT MEANS, PROJECTS INTO THE PASSAGE SOMEWHAT, OPPOSED CAM SURFACES BETWEEN THE ELEMENTS, A FRAME ON THE HOUSING HAVING A PLURALITY OF INWARDLY PROJECTING FINGERS, EACH SUCH FINGER BEING DISPOSED OPPOSITE THE CAM SURFACES BETWEEN TWO OF THE ELEMENTS, THE FRAME BEING ACCESSIBLE SO THAT IT MAY BE MANUALLY MOVED, MOVEMENT THEREOF FORCING THE FINGERS BETWEEN THE CAM SURFACES TO SPREAD THE ELEMENTS CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AND THEREBY PIVOT THEM OUTWARDLY OPENING THE PASSAGE TO ALLOW CONNECTORS TO MOVE FREELY THROUGH THE HOUSING. 